Hai Phong Portal

Architecture and urban planning of Hai Phong

Hai Phong architecture is mixed harmoniously between Asian and European cultures. This mixture has made Hai Phong a unique feature, elegant but strong. Up to 2011, Hai Phong still maintained many quarters with fairly intact architecture of French domination period. In Hong Bang district, for instance, many streets with French-built villas have been preserved with their overall architecture; currently located headquarters of public administration agencies. Also in Hong Bang district, there remains a Chinese quarter near Sat Market (i.e., formerly Chinatown, now Phan Boi Chau street; and formerly China street, now Ly Thuong Kiet street) with features similar to Cho Lon area in Ho Chi Minh City; especially, Tam Bac street situated by the poetic and busy Tam Bac river used to be topics for many painters.

Another unique feature of Hai Phong is rivers. The rivers flow inside a modern city crossing under bridges of different sizes. Currently, there are about 20 bridges of different sizes inside the city, of which the biggest is Binh Bridge – one of the biggest cable-stayed bridges in Southeast Asia.

The city is being planned toward 5 directions like 5 flamboyant petals toward the sea, and attaching with historical rivers such as: Cam, Tam Bac, and Lach Tray rivers, etc… in order to worth with a special city and a civilized and modern port service city in a very near future. As planned, up to 2015, Hai Phong will basically become an industrial city together with Quang Ninh, get 5 years ahead of the whole country; and by 2020, or no later than 2025, will be the third city being ranked the special city; then in the orientation from 2025 up to 2050 to be an international city.